The company was founded by James Edward Sugden in 1967, a division of Research Electronics. Research Electronics manufactured scientific instruments and test equipment, designed by James Sugden, for Universities. The A21 was the first amplifier to be put into production and was originally branded for a well known local loudspeaker company called Richard Allan.
The A21 was the worlds’ first production pure class A transistor amplifier and a great success.
The partnership with Richard Allan was short lived and within a year the amplifier was renamed the SUGDEN A21. Shortly afterwards, manufacturing was moved to larger premises in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire.
Almost all the manufacturing processes were carried out at the new Sugden factory. These included cases, building circuit boards and final assembly of each item all by hand. The Cleckheaton factory saw the development of many new products including the A48 integrated amplifier and C51/P51 pre and power amplifier. There were also three analogue radio tuners and a full set of audio test equipment.
In 1981 production was relocated to our current factory in Heckmondwike, a short distance from where it all began. Today we still manufacture in the same tradition with each Sugden product being handmade by a single highly skilled team member. Six employees have been with the company for over thirty years enjoying a life-long career. Our involvement in the full manufacturing process still exists from design to despatch. We operate our own custom engineering shop and assembly, screen printing and a cabinet making facility for loudspeakers. Sugden products are a truly handmade quality British product.
‘Purveyors of iconic British Hi-Fi’ | tel: 01727 810047 | email: tunes@tomtomaudio.co.uk
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